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Welcome you to the Public Scoping Meeting for the LA 143 – US 165 Connector and Ouachita River Bridge project. The purpose of tonight’s meeting is to inform you about the proposed project and obtain your input as we go through the environmental review process. Please be sure to look at the materials that were given to you at the Sign ‐ In Table and use them to record your comments. 2
What is involved in the environmental review process? 3
The National Environmental Policy Act, known as NEPA, requires that any proposed action involving federal funds and/or federal permitting, must be evaluated by government agencies to assess the impacts on the environment. For this project, the Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration have determined that potential impacts will require an Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS be prepared. 4
The EIS process began with a notice in the Federal Register on June 28, 2012 and will continue through 2014 when the Record of Decision is expected from the Federal Highway Administration. Currently, we in the process of coordinating with federal, state, and local agencies and seeking input from the public about this project. 5
What is the purpose of the project? 6
One purpose of the project is to maintain east ‐ west mobility for local and long distance travel. Red lines shown here represent traffic in the Monroe region in 2015. The gray line is the Ouachita River and green dots are existing bridges. The thickness of the red line represents congestion, and the thickest line represents a roadway where traffic volume exceeds its capacity. Note that some of the heaviest congestion in the area is concentrated around the three bridges connecting West Monroe and Monroe. 7
Congestion will continue to increase over time, and by 2035, traffic on Interstate 20 and the approaches to the bridges is expected to be at capacity or greater. For this reason, a fourth bridge just north of the urbanized areas was conceived. The proposed project will also serve a second purpose. That is, to provide rural transportation system linkages. 8
Where is the proposed project location? 9
The study area is located north of the city limits of West Monroe and Monroe. The western boundary extends along LA 143 from Pinecrest to Tupawek Bayou. The eastern boundary extends along US 165 from near Garden Lane to the Forsythe Extension. and the future Kansas Lane Connector. 10
What is proposed as the action or project? 11
The project is a proposed roadway connecting LA 143, also known as White’s Ferry Road, to US 165, or Sterlington Road with a new bridge crossing of the Ouachita River. Alignments shown here were developed during the Stage 0 Feasibility Study prepared in 2008. Both concepts join LA 143 near Tupawek Bayou and cross the Ouachita River near Bayou Chauvin, and both terminate at US 165 at two locations: at Finks Hideaway Road, and Forsythe Extension. The alignments shown are conceptual in nature and subject to change. 12
What is the history of this project? 13
The project was first referenced in 1968. In 1971 the Monroe Metropolitan Area Transportation Study was completed referencing a new roadway from LA 143 to Forsythe Avenue and the Ouachita River bridge crossing. The Twin Cities Expressway Corridor Study was completed in 1981 followed by a Major Investment Study in 1996. In 2007 legislation established the Ouachita Expressway Authority. The Stage 0 Feasibility Study was completed in 2008. 14
The project is a section of independent utility within the long ‐ range planning project known as the Ouachita Loop as identified in the 1996 Major Investment Study. The Loop is currently unfunded; however, the widening of Fink’s Hide ‐ A ‐ Way, near segment 4, is underway. 15
How will the project be funded? 16
In addition to state and federal funding, another source of funding for roadways is tolling, an option that will be evaluated for this project. 31 states currently use tolling to fund some of their facilities 17
Louisiana has three operating toll projects, and two more are in the planning stages. 18
Tolling serves two purposes: it is a source of revenue for construction, operations, and maintenance, and it also provides a way to manage traffic by rationing capacity and peak travel times. 19
The next step for this project is alternatives development and technical analyses. 20
These analyses and evaluations will determine minimum design requirements, answering questions such as What is the best design speed? What is the best roadway type? How many lanes are needed? Can construction be phased in over time? And how high and wide should the bridge be? 21
The first of these studies will involve traffic modeling to determine the best location for the intersections at LA 143 and US 165. The model will also test the design speed and number of lanes to see how the proposed facility and its connecting roads will operate. 22
The navigation analysis will determine what horizontal clearance and vertical clearance will be needed to meet the reasonable needs of river traffic. 23
Other analyses will investigate how the project might affect archeological sites in the area, how the community will be affected, where industrial and waste sites are located, and what biological resources need to be considered. 24
Information collected early in the study will be used with aerial photographs to develop a constraints map that will identify how alternative roadway alignments and bridge crossing locations will impact resources of the study area. 25
Examples of the kind of data we use to evaluate impacts include elevation, flood zones, wetlands, and land use / land cover. These information layers are draped over the study area map layers to determine which areas are most suitable for the roadway alignments, the bridge crossing, and intersections. It will also help determine where roadways must be elevated and where they can be built at ground level. 26
Identifying resources and issues is an important part of the NEPA processes. A preliminary list of resources thought to be material to the alternatives development process is shown here and printed in the handout. Please tell us what you can about these and other resources as they relate to the LA project study area. A map is also provided in the handout for your use. 27
We value your knowledge and opinion. By telling us what issues concern you and which resources you think are important, you will contribute to the EIS process and the identification of an alignment that will be the least environmentally damaging and the most practicable. 28
Tell us what you know about areas that should be avoided such as archaeological or cultural sites? And cemeteries or burial grounds? 29
Please provide your verbal or written comments tonight or mail them to our project team. Comments received by August 24 will become part of the record of this meeting, but comments are welcome throughout the study duration. 30
We appreciate that you have taken the time to attend this meeting. Please proceed to the adjoining room to view more exhibits and speak with our project team, ask questions, and provide comments. 31
Thank you for your participation. 32
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